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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27763951">Stay</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rangergirl3/pseuds/Rangergirl3'>Rangergirl3</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) Whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:22:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,035</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27763951</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rangergirl3/pseuds/Rangergirl3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Pidge tells herself to remain calm, that it will all be fine.</p><p>She'll get to the two of them in time, and the others will be here soon.</p><p>It'll be fine.</p><p>It'll be fine.</p><p>It's not.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Keith &amp; Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith &amp; Shiro (Voltron)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>108</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stay</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Pidge tells herself to remain calm, that it will all be fine.</p><p>She'll get to Keith and Shiro in time, and the others will be here soon to help.</p><p>It'll be fine.</p><p>She can hear them over her comms. </p><p>At least the cave-in didn't short those out.</p><p>Sure, the rocks almost crushed her, and Keith has a head injury <em>and</em> a broken leg, and Shiro isn't admitting that he's been hurt (because no one gets out of a cave-in like this without at least a few bruises, cuts, and/or other injuries), but it's okay. It's okay.</p><p>It <em>has</em> to be okay.</p>
<hr/><p>Shiro concentrates on Pidge's fractured-yet-still-mostly-intelligible swearing. It's just about the only thing that can distract him from their situation.</p><p>"-'m going to <em>kill</em> the assholes who pointed us this way, first thing I do once you two are back on the Castle and in healing pods, the <em>very</em> first thing I am going to do is -"</p><p>A few more rocks fall, and Shiro's attention shifts back towards Keith.</p><p>The Red Paladin isn't doing well. There's blood streaming down the side of his face, and he's clearly out of it.</p><p>Keith usually never, <em>ever</em> admits to pain if he can help it, but that's not the case here.</p>
<hr/><p>Someone's crying. It's not a loud sound, but Keith still doesn't like it. It causes his stomach to tighten into knots, the already horrible pain in his head to climb even faster towards agony.</p><p>Shiro's telling whoever it is that it'll be fine, that they just need to keep still until help gets here.</p><p>Keith's leg throbs with pain. He's fairly certain he couldn't move his leg even if he wanted to, which he most definitely does <em>not</em>.</p><p>The crying's grown fainter now, as if whoever was doing it is running out of breath.</p><p>A faint beam of light illuminates the broken rocks only inches above him, and the unexpected sight of them sends a danger signal to his subconscious that's impossible to ignore.</p><p>
  <em>He's buried alive, he has to get out, he has to -</em>
</p><p>Fear spikes through him, and Keith shifts his position as much as he dares, but then he hears Shiro's voice again, telling Keith to stay still, to remain calm, but the pain flares once more, and then all reason is lost to him. In blind panic, he lifts his right arm and begins scraping at the stone with his fingers.</p><p>Pidge is saying something over the comms.</p><p>"Keith, stop - it's dangerous - you have t-"</p><p>He can't breathe.</p><p>He's buried alive.</p><p>
  <em>He needs to get out, please, please, let me out, please, please, please</em>
</p>
<hr/><p>Pidge bits down on her lip as Keith's terrified whimpers reach her ears.</p><p>"Shiro, can you -?"</p><p>The Black Paladin doesn't answer right away, but she's fairly certain she hears slow, arduous movement over the comms, as if Shiro is dragging himself forwards with his prosthetic arm. Then the scrabbling noise stops, and Shiro's trying to talk to Keith again.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>Someone is behind him.</em>
</p><p>Keith can't turn, can't move, can't do anything except cry out when the person behind him reaches out an arm and wraps it around his shoulders, as if trying to hold Keith in place.</p><p>
  <em>No, no, no, stop stop stop, let me go let me go, please please please -</em>
</p><p>Shiro's talking again.</p><p>"It's okay, buddy, it's okay - "</p><p>Keith whimpers and squeezes his eyes tight shut, fingers still scrabbling frantically at the rocks in front of him.</p><p>It's not okay. It's <em>not</em>.</p><p>More light begins to creep in, but Keith can't bring himself to look.</p><p>It hurts. </p><p>He's scared.</p><p>
  <em>His head hurts so bad, it's awful, and he can't move and his leg hurts and he's dizzy and sick and no one is going to look for him he's going to die down here he's going to die and no one will care no one will ever notice that he's gone </em>
</p><p>"Hey, hey, it's okay, you're not alone, Keith, I'm here, it's okay -"</p><p>
  <em>He's hearing Shiro again.</em>
</p><p>Keith sobs.</p><p>Shiro is dead, he died on the Kereberos mission, and Keith is just hearing things. <em>Again</em>.</p>
<hr/><p>When Pidge finally reaches them, she doesn't waste any time in trying to apply first aid to Keith's head injury.</p>
<hr/><p>Later, after Keith's healing cycle ends, she stops by his room and knocks. When he opens the door, she offers him the small item that had fluttered out of his jacket's pocket.</p><p>"Um," she says, not sure what to say. "I - uh, while you were in the pod, I moved your jacket back to your room, but - um, this - this must have fallen out of its pocket when I - when I moved it from the lounge. Sorry."</p><p>The photograph was an old one, folded and creased with worn edges that had been carefully taped after a few rips had threatened to destroy the picture. It was a picture of a middle-aged man with dark hair and a tiny kid, who was laughing and wearing his father's firefighter jacket and helmet.</p><p>Keith took it from her, uncertain what to say.</p><p>"Um. Thanks," he ventured.</p><p>Pidge shrugged a shoulder, looking down the hallway.</p><p>"No prob. Sorry about - you know."</p><p>She scratches the back of her neck, still not looking at him.</p><p>"Not getting to you guys sooner."</p><p>Keith tucks the picture away in his jeans pocket, shaking his head in answer.</p><p>"You didn't do anything wrong, Pidge - I was just - you know. Out of it, I guess."</p><p>Pidge glances back up at him and nods once, quickly.</p><p>"Yeah. I - um. I noticed."</p><p>Keith's eyes remain focused on the floor at his feet.</p><p>"Sorry, about that, by the way."</p><p>Pidge snorts.</p><p>"What, for having a head injury?"</p><p>Keith hesitates. </p><p>"Um...yes...?"</p><p>His voice fades away when Pidge glares at him. </p><p>"<em>Don't</em>," she snaps. "Don't apologize for getting hurt, or for - for - I don't know, okay? Just - it's not like you slammed your head against a rock wall on purpose, okay?! So stop - "</p><p>She waves her hands around her head, as if searching for inspiration.</p><p>"-just stop - trying to take responsibility for shit that isn't your fault in the first place, okay?!"</p><p>Keith's nod is slow and somewhat reluctant, but it's there.</p><p>"Okay," he says. </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much for reading! I LOVE reading your comments, it always makes my day! Kudos, incoherent screaming, and excited key-smashing are also lovely forms of feedback ;-)</p><p>I'm on Tumblr - come say hi!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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